Spring-link



0. WHEELER.

SPRING LINK. APPLICATION FILED FEB-17.192].

Patented Ndv. 1, 1921. 4

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OBVILLE WHEELER, 0E WAVERLY, IOVJA.

, SPRING-LINK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Application filed February 17, 1921. Serial No. 445,67 1.

' To all whom it may concern 1 Be it known that I, ORVILLE WHEELER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Waverly, Bremer county, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Spring-Links, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in spring links, particularly to that class of devices which includes spring links, snap hooks or the like, and in which the unit is an open link having an inwardly yieldable bar spring with one end fastened to one end of the link and the other end contacting or engaged with the inner wall of the other end of the link.

The object of my improvement is to so shape the link that it may coact with the spring in a manner tosecurely receive and isolatedly retain a ring or link at either end, although permitting immediate release of said ring by means of a simple manual operation.

This object I have accomplished by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 to 3 are side elevations of the device show ing it associated with a ring in successive stages of reception of the ring, the ring being shown in medial section in Figs. 1 and 2, while a like part of the link is shown broken away in all said figures; Fig. 4c is a longitudinal section of the device, taken on the broken line 4l of said Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal edge view of the device, with the ring omitted.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The elongated link 1 is shown as having a small ring 7 mounted on one end by means of a swivel or pivotal connection 9. While this adapts it for snap-hook purposes, yet my invention is in no way dependent thereon for the link may be used without said ring. The opening of the link is spanned by the usual bar spring 5 having one end fastened to the inner wall of one end of the link, while the other end of the spring is ordinarily seated in a shallow recess 6 in the inner wall of the other end of the link to be flush with said inner wall. An integral boss 4 is formedmedially and projects from the elongated part of the link 1 opposite the spring .5. This boss preferably tr1-.

angular, as shown, but may be otherwise shaped, and projects far enough to contact with the inner face of said spring medially and to place the pring under compressive tension at least sufficient to retain its free end against displacement from the cavity 6 in the hook 3 of the link. This cavity serves to also prevent lateral displacement of the spring.

As displayed in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, which exhibits the method of mounting a ring 8 within the farther hook 2 of said rim 1, the said ring in Fig. 1 is shown introduced between the free end of the spring 5 and the abuttin part of the hook 3, movlng therebetween in the direction indicated by the arrow. As shown in Fig. 2, said ring is then moved over the triangular boss 4 by manually collapsing the spring outwardly sufliciently to seat the ring within the hook 2 as hown in Fig. 3. The ring may be removed from the device by reversing the above-described movements, the free end of the spring being manually depressed yieldingly inwardly to allow exit of the ring. It will be seen that whether the ring 8 is seated in either hook 2 or 3, it cannot escape as the boss 4 compressively keeps the free end of the spring 5 within the cavity 6. However, it is not essential that the boss 4 shall exert compression upon said spring, provided that it contact therewith to limit inward movement of the spring andkeep its free end in the cavity 6.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising an open link, and a flat spring fastened at one end of the link, movable inward and having its free end contacting with the inner wall of the opposite end of the link to close the opening, said link having an interior boss opposite, projecting medially against and placing said spring under tension.

2. A device of the character described, comprising an open link, and a flat spring fastened at one end of the link, movable inward and having its free end contacting with the inner wall of the opposite end of the link to close the opening, said link having an interior boss opposite to and projecting into medial contact with said spring to divide the link into two receiving and seating eyes for a body adapted to pass between the boss and the spring by spring ing the latter outwardly, without disengaging the free end of the spring from the link.

3. A device of the character described, comprising an open link, and a fiat spring fastened at one end of the link, movable inward, the inner wall of the opposite end of the link having a recess between side projeetions, the free end of said spring being seated Within said recess,the link having a tri- 10 angular interior boss opposite to, projecting medially toward, and having its angular tip engaged against the inner face of said spring medially to place the spring under tension and divide the link into two receiving parts. 15

Signed at Waterloo, Iowa, this 18th day of Jan, 1921.

ORVILLE WHEELER. 

